The Future He Deserves
by HopefullyAnAuthor
Summary: Ever since he was small Haru's wanted to be different, and I didn't know how to be different. He's always been there, showing me how, instead of choosing one of two paths, to run straight down the split between the two, or how to fly above them both and create a path in the sky. (Little bit of Ouran in there too, for no reason) My first fanfic, please R&R! HaruxRin (Incomplete)
1. Chapter 1

**Rin and Haru are recovering from the recent separation. This is based on the manga, not the anime. I love these two (especially Haru :3) but no one seems to have written anything about them. So here you go, RinRu! (It's from the point of view of Rin.) **

I sit on the fence, feeling the wind on my face. It feels like something new, like a new future. Haru's standing next to me, leaning back on the fence with an arm behind me.

'What are you thinking?' he asks me, his voice soft and easy to listen to. It's a pity Haru doesn't talk more, his voice is so beautiful, like I could just sink into it.

'I was wondering what we're going to do now we're not part of the Jyunishi anymore. I mean, you'll want to finish school, right? But what are we going to do, where will we go?' I turn to look at Haru, but he's still staring into the distance.

'I think... I think you could become an artist, Rin. I saw your drawings, they're actually pretty amazing. Mind you, there were quite a few of me in there too, huh,' he says quietly. If it was anyone else, they would've laughed saying that last sentence, but Haru stays absolutely serious.

I don't know what I want. I wish I could've done so many things as a child, but I actually have no ideas for the future. Drawing is something I do when I need to express myself, my canvases are like my diary. But I've never asked a real artist what they thought about them, maybe they suck.

'Haru... What do you want to be when you get older?' I jump off the fence lightly, standing in front of him. He's still looking above my head though. Tall bastard.

'I... I think I'd like to travel. I don't want to stay in one house, doing one job like everyone in this city. I don't want to go to university, to be brutally honest even graduation will be a pain,' he says, distantly. I'm not surprised.

Ever since he was small Haru's wanted to be different, and I didn't know how to be different. He's always been there, showing me how, instead of choosing one of two paths, to run straight down the split between the two, or how to fly above them both and create a path in the sky.

'I'd love to travel with you... Haru,' I say, hesitantly. It's always hard telling anyone what I feel, but Haru's used to waiting for me to finish. 'If I could... I'd show you the whole world. I'd draw it out for you on the back of your hand, and then you'd be able to go anywhere.'

'If I had the world on the back of my hand, I'd be God,' he says. I'm stunned, but he keeps talking, 'But I don't want to rule anyone or demand things. I want to stay one of the inferiors. God has her own problems.'

Akito... I still hate her. Finding out she was a woman made me hate her more. She threw my womanhood in my face like a knife to the head, and now she thinks because she's female, everyone will forgive her. I'll never feel any affection for Akito again. The horse spirit was the one who loved her, not me.

'Haru, it's getting cold. Let's go-' I was about to say 'home', but we live in different houses. I'm supposed to be living with Kagura's family right now, and Haru used to live in the main house, but he hasn't been back there for a while. I say 'living' because we never stayed, and I don't plan to waste more time in Kagura's house.

'I know a place we can go,' he says, and he takes my hand and leads me through the forest. That fence is right on the edge of the city, and right now, what would be the point of going any further? We have no money and Haru's still in school.

Thinking about the fence, I suddenly realise how much I miss the horse spirit. If she was here now, and I transformed, I could run for miles and never look back. I actually enjoyed being the horse spirit sometimes, because I was fast and beautiful and stronger than I could ever be in reality.

Haru turns back to me, 'She's never truly left you, you know. You're still a beautiful, black, wild horse to me.' How on Earth did he...?

'Haru, you never fail to surprise me,' I say suspiciously, and start walking again. 'Where are we going anyway? I don't remember this pla-' I break off because I suddenly do.

Once again, Haru has come up with the oddest and most amazing idea to suit only us. He's so dear to me, the closest in the world.

He's lead me to Shigure's old house. It's abandoned now, Yuki's gone to university, Shigure's moved back to Sohma house, and Kyo and Tohru have pretty much got married somewhere else.

'Like it?' he grins at me slyly. He's planned this, I can tell.

'Haru, we'll be breaking and entering this place if we stay here. It's illegal, we'll be criminals.' I protest, even though I've always quite liked Shigure's house in the middle of nowhere. It suits us.

'Well, we already look the part,' he says, stepping right up close to me, and fingering the black choker I'm wearing. I look deep into his eyes. They're odd, Haru's eyes. At first, everyone assumes they're brown, but if you look close, you'll see that they're black, with tiny flecks of gold around his pupils.

He kisses me gently, and I let him. It's so easy, kissing Haru. It makes me feel guilty sometimes, if I think too hard about it. It's like, when he kisses me, he's not asking for me to kiss him back, he's giving me himself. Haru is so kind. That's why I get so scared for him sometimes. He'd give me everything he owned if I asked for it, even though he'd have nothing.

I'm the opposite. I've always been a selfish, defensive person. I want to keep the things that are mine. When someone asks me for something, I think about what I'll lose, not what they'll gain. But if it's Haru asking...

**Hope you enjoyed it! R&R if you did, R&R if you didn't. What should happen next? (I don't want to bring in too many of my OCs because I love these ones too much, but I'll read your suggestions!) RinRu Forever!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 of RinRu. Enjoy!**

I step into the house, and it's totally empty. Paper houses are odd when they're empty. I mean, they're so spacious, but there is absolutely nothing here. It feels so bleak and cold too.

'Haru, how are we going to stay warm and comfortable in this house? There's no light, or heating and –' I suddenly realise Haru isn't next to me anymore. 'Ha... Haru? Where are you?' My voice sounds tiny in the empty rooms. I walk into the next room, the kitchen, and the cold silence makes me shiver. Tohru used to cook here, such warm, comforting food. She's gone now, though. It could've been anyone's kitchen.

Out of nowhere, the lights come on, and the air gets slowly warmer. Haru sticks his thin face out from behind a corner. 'Found the fuse box. It should start to get a bit more comfortable in here now. Let's go upstairs.'

The house seems much friendlier now, as if it's been woken up. Inwardly I apologise to Tohru for having disturbed such a welcoming house with my stupid, selfish problems. But that was a darker time. Now I am wanted by Haru, and I am standing in the spot he wants me to be in. Funny how, by feeling wanted, I gain something.

The tall, lean, tousled Haru I'd come to love so much lies down on the floor. 'I put the heater on pretty high, so we shouldn't need blankets.'

'I don't need blankets with you around. You're like a superman, Hatsuharu Sohma,' I smile back and join him on the floor. 'You're my hand to hold, my shoulder to lean on, and my bridge to cross over. Is there anything you can't do?'

He shifts up onto one elbow and looks down into my eyes. Caresses my cheek with his long fingers. Kisses me softly. Then says, 'Well, I'm a lousy artist. But I'm so lucky to have you for that then, isn't I?'

'I love you, you mad cow,' I say, ruffling his soft, white hair. I've always loved Haru's hair. It looks so white and pure on top, but then you notice the black strength beneath it, it suits him perfectly.

'And I love you too, you wild horse.' Haru runs his long fingers through my short hair in return. I push him off.

'Don't,' I say quickly. Haru looks up at me, slightly confused. 'Don't... touch my horrid short hair. I hate it. I wish it was still as long as it used to be. It's ugly now. It'll never be as beautiful as before.'

'Rin.' He says my name firmly, like a barrier against the worries that could wash me away any second. 'You could be bald, and I'd be in love with you. You could be flat-chested, and I'd be in love with you. You could be a boy, and I'd be in love with you. Because it's you, Rin.'

'You know... you worry me sometimes...' That last bit was pretty odd, even for Haru. Would he really love me as a boy...? Best not to dwell on that one.

'Now let's get some sleep. I've got school tomorrow.' And he's back on Planet Earth.

I'm sitting alone in the house, wondering what to do. I guess I should get a job somewhere, so I can earn money for Haru and me, but I'm scared I'll be rejected by anyone I interview with. I mean, I can do all sorts of jobs, from shelf stacking to cleaning hotels, I don't care.

But when I meet new people, I get so nervous that I go crazy and angry at them. I don't know, I just lash out. Like Haru does when he's black, but not so violently of course.

If I screw up... But no. It's been two whole hours since he left, Rin. Now get up off your lazy a** and get a job. If you want Haru to have a home instead of a house with you, then get some money to build it for him.

'What's your name, young lady?' asks the manager, Mr. Sohma. I stammer, and mutter Isuzu. God, what am I doing here? It's 3 in the afternoon, and I'm sitting in a Sohma office, looking for a job.

I could've just asked the main house for help finding employment. I could have. I didn't, though. I think that says enough. And yet, the only place with jobs available seemed to be the friggin' Sohma building. Just my luck, right?

I can tell that the manager's sceptical of me. My age, my clothing, whatever. If I was him, I would be too. A strange, goth girl strides into your fancy, shiny establishment that you've spent years getting to the top. You're going to be pretty wierded out.

'Er, well, the only jobs we have available are cleaning jobs and a few secretarial positions going spare. You got a CV?' he asks, and I can see him deciding what answer I'm going to give him.

'No...?' I reply. I can't lose this job, I... we need the money so damn bad. It's ridiculous how much is resting on this. Before his interest fades into nothing, and he thanks me because he wants me to leave, I have to do something.

'Wait!' I cry out, and throw out my arm towards Mr. Sohma. Now what do I say? 'Please... I just... I can do this, OK? I promise to work hard. I'm a useless secretary, but I'll clean whatever you want... Windows, floors, toilets, I can do it! I... I really...'

Come on Rin, you can say it. It's not that hard to ask for help. Everyone does it. There isn't anyone who doesn't need something at some point. You can ask this rich prat for a job, you already asked Tohru for help all that time ago, when you were dying. Come on, say it.

'I really... need this job.' There. If this guy knows how much saying that goes against the moral code of my life, he'll have to give me this stinking paid chore.

I realise I've squeezed my eyes shut. Opening them slowly, I look up at the manager of the Sohma building. He's staring at me, slightly shocked. He looks... disgusted.

So that's it then. I've ruined it. That's what happens when I ask for help. People believe I'm powerless, and I feel powerless too. I stand up and walk towards the door. I'd better leave before he asks me to.

'Where are you going, I...Isuzu, was it? Sit down, please,' comes the stern voice from behind me. I turn and sit back in the uncomfortable chair. 'I think we have a job for you. It won't be very highly paid, I'm afraid.'

Oh God. He thinks I'm poor now? Well... wake up, Rin. You _are_ poor. You have nothing. The manager continues whilst these fears are bouncing around my brain. 'You'll have to wear the uniform, of course. We can't have our cleaners wearing just anything, and I'm sure you won't want to spoil your... um... outfit. You can start on Monday.'

He scribbles on a piece of paper where I'm going and what I'll have to do on Monday. I hope it isn't too difficult. Looking back, that seems a little stupid. I mean, it was a cleaning job. Anyone can clean, it wasn't ever going to be difficult. But if I'd known what was going to happen, I would've left before he'd handed me that paper.

'Isuzu! You're back!' comes a voice that isn't Haru's from the dining room in The Shigure House (the only useful thing that pervert ever did for me was buying this place). Haru _never _calls me Isuzu. Who the hell-?

'Hey, Rin,' says Haru, appearing from behind the door of the dining room. 'It seems we have a visitor. I was coming home from school and then realised I had a stalker.' He already calls this place home? But we've only been here, what, a day?

Thinking it through, though, it does seem pretty home-like. It's full of things I remember, this place healed me. And having Haru here... that makes it twice as comforting.

'Hi Isuzu!' I can hear the mystery visitor standing up and about to open the door. Somehow, I didn't want them to do it. I didn't want them to ruin _our_ place. But you can't freeze time, no matter how many times you want to.

**R&R if you liked it, R&R if you didn't! No one's actually reviewed yet, but I'd love to know what you think. Sorry that not much happens in this one, I just had to push them a bit before it gets interesting, if that makes sense. I'm gonna let you guys choose who the mystery visitor is and then continue the story, so make sure you get your favourite character in there. I've got a few ideas for Rin's new job too, so bear with me. Next chapter soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I guess I shouldn't have expected any reviews last time, huh. Meh. It's been ages but I will keep trying! (Yay! I sound like Tohru! Well, a bit at least...) OK so since last time I've read a few more mangas and watched a few more animes so I shall CROSSOVER CROSSOVER CROSSOVER! This might get a bit more lighthearted now. **

The door opened and I saw the stranger standing in the frame as a silhouette. Obviously a teenage boy, Haru's age maybe?

'Who are you? I'm assuming Hatsuharu told you my name, because if you really are a stalker...' I clench my fists and hold my head up defiantly. I won't be beaten by a strange boy who thinks he's smart.

'I, princess, am Tamaki Suou from Ouran Academy!' He gestured out with one arm and touched his heart with the other, blonde hair and rose petals flying all over the place (where they came from, goodness knows).

Oh God. He's one of _those_ is he? Ouran Academy's in the richer part of town, quite close to the Main House actually. It's a private school for super-rich idiots, this Suou kid being specimen A. I hate them for thinking they need a whole school to themselves just because of their wealth.

'Remind me again why you followed me home?' asked Haru, inspecting his fingernails as though this sort of thing happened every day. Maybe it did, for him. Once again, I felt a pang of sadness knowing that Haru's obligation to high school kept me from knowing much about his life, or much about him at all in fact.

'Cosplay!'

'What?' I asked, clear irritation in my voice. Suddenly I wanted this weirdo out of our house, our lives, our business. Leave now, Suou and forget us. I'll do my best to forget you.

'I was just so amazed by what this guy was wearing, and I had to know the secret of how he pulled it off. I mean, how many belts and chains do you put on before it becomes too much? And what about colours? Red and black is classic, but if you could somehow through in a little pink or yellow for Hunny-senpai, then I'm sure-' Definitely one of those Ouran kids. There is no way someone with any sense of respect would say that stuff. There is no way someone with any sense would say that full stop.

'What are you cosplaying for?' came the serene voice from Haru's spot on the floor. He sounded uninterested... so why the questions? But then, the closer I come to understanding Haru, the closer I come to madness. Maybe insanity isn't so bad after all.

'I'm so glad you asked me that!' Tamaki gushed, and began to explain the Ouran High School Host Club to us. But obviously by a few sentences in, Haru and I had sneaked upstairs, and left him proudly speaking to an empty room.

'Haru,' I began quickly, 'What do we do with the madman downstairs? Can't he just go back to his rich person house and look up cosplay on his rich person laptop and-' He silenced me with a finger against my lips, soft, yet reprimanding.

'I'll just give him whatever it is he wants, and you can stay here until I show him out, OK? If he wants cosplay, he gets cosplay. Rich people are too fragile to mess with, Rin.' Padding over to the staircase, he walked slowly down to the room below where Tamaki was still spieling on the beauty of God-knows what.

I stared out of the window listening to the echoes of my name being said by my favourite voice. If I could, I would make Haru say every word in the language just so I could hear how they were supposed to sound.

What do normal people do on Friday nights? Homework? Housework? Do they have the ridiculous custom of eating together as a family?

Family means nothing any more, not to me. I made that choice years ago. Why should families be forced to live together? What if there's something that can't fit around a dining table, that has to suffocate you in order to exist? My family have never understood me. And that doesn't make sense.

In the Jyunishi, the cat was meant to be the outcast. So why weren't the others accepted? Why wasn't I accepted? It's times like this that I can feel the horse spirit close to me, as though she has galloped past me and I can see where she used to be. My heart found a way to shape itself around the horse spirit and now all that is left is a hole from where it used to be.

I was sitting on my hands, and getting pins and needles. Back in the real world, strange things were happening downstairs, and suspicion was growing inside me. I rushed down the stairs to see what Tamaki was trying to get my Hatsuharu to do.

'Yes that's perfect, I could use that pose! I need to capture your expression too, get ready for your close up!'

I stood open-mouthed at the bottom of the stairs as Tamaki Suou took pictures of my boyfriend ...Was this really for cosplay purposes? What did this pervert really want? Haru was so unnervingly open sometimes that it wouldn't be hard to get him to strip...

'Hey! You, pretty boy? What the hell d'you think you're doing?' I strode over to him and snatched the digital camera from his hand. He looked shocked. Good.

'I'm modelling, Rin,' grinned Haru, 'Aren't _I_ the pretty boy?' He dropped his pose and walked over to the two of us. 'Tamaki is telling the truth. He's just an idiot who loves cosplay, and wanted to see how we pulled off the dark look so well. And to be honest, I was quite enjoying that.' He always says what I least expect him to, but so fervently and honestly that I can't help but believe every word. Why would he lie? ...Would he lie? I stared up into Hatsuharu's deep, comforting eyes.

Tamaki's flailing arms were probably a call for attention, so after a few seconds (no rich dummy was going to rush me) I snapped my face round and growled,

'What do you want, Suou?'

'Er, I was, er haha, just wondering if you would like to be in some pictures with Hatsuharu here? I mean, the Host Club does need some inspiration for a dark themed cosplay as to how to make the chemistry work. We've never done it before except on Halloween, and the Black Magic Club at school aren't-' he shivered, '-exactly well-informed on how to please the ladies... Call it research!'

I was, little-by-little, getting to realise just how childish this guy was. I've seen alot of childish people in the Sohma family. On the scale, he's past Hiro, past Momiji, even past Akito and Shigure. Tamaki Suou, I thought, almost stifling a laugh, you are on the Ayame Sohma level of immaturity, congratulations.

'Rin?' A finger tapped my chin, asking a question.

'Fine, I'll be in the pictures with you, dammit. Not because _you're_ asking though,' I added with a furious look at Tamaki, who smiled weakly and muttered something about Casanova getting a run for his money. (Once again, don't ask me.)

Haru draped his arms around my neck and began to play with my hair again.

'Don't,' I said softly and tried to turn away, even blushing a little at my vanity. Haru let me have my back to him, but pulled me close and began to kiss my neck where my hacked-off hair ended. I couldn't help but enjoy it and I-

'The twins will pay me for this! Kyoya's going to be so proud-' squeaked an extremely annoying creature from the corner of the room.

'Get... OUT!' I have never been more irritated in my life than the time I met Tamaki Suou. He scarpered very obediently, but somehow I felt like more was to come...

The dawn light woke me up the next morning. I was wrapped up in a pair of strong, safe arms, and a lock of white hair was hanging down over my face. My breath made it stir and twist about in the air.

'So you're awake then,' remarked the owner of the aforementioned lock. Suddenly I sat up.

'Oh God, Haru, you'll be late for school-'

'It's Saturday. Who's the mad cow now?' asked the voice behind my head.

'Still you,' I smiled. Typical Haru. Always organised, always planned, always level-headed.

'I love you, Rin.'

And just a little bit crazy too. It's a beautiful madness, Haru's mind. So dear to me and so close that I could almost touch it, but there's always something I miss. Something I can't foresee. And that is probably why I'm in love with him.

**Thanks for reading! I'm glad I decided to carry on with this, I missed these two. I hope you liked Tamaki as well. I'm making up most of this on the spot, so I hope the randomness doesn't scare you away. I'm hoping to somehow bring in more Furuba and Ouran characters, and maybe some others too... Not telling! But seriously though, it means so much to even have a few people reading this, so thank you wherever you are. Chapter 4 will be Rin's new job, and it is arriving soon! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: In Which Rin begins her new job...**

I walked through the automatic doors, looking down at the slip of paper in my hand. My first job. I suppose it was about time. Luckily for me, I didn't have to worry about hiding the Sohma curse from everyone.

How did the adults keep up the facade for so long? Well, for Ayame it would have been easy: no one goes near him if they have any sense. That's probably why the Sohmas are such an uncomfortably close-knit family. They couldn't afford to meet new people...

I checked the note again.

'_Sohma Isuzu, cleaner in block 4. __Shift times: 6:30-10:30. Duties take place on: 21st-26__th__ floor, Monday-Thursday.'_

Who would have guessed that this is what I would be reduced to? A cleaner working for my own family company. My feet sounded too loud on the polished floor, and suddenly I felt guilty for standing on it. _Someone's taken time to clean this, soon that someone will be me._

'You must be Isuzu. Good to meet you, I'm Kanako, I lead the maintenance team here.' The woman seemed to be fairly friendly, but I was probably giving her a bad impression. I do that, not always intentionally. She was middle-aged, with hair that looks like it used to be dyed red and a firm expression, as though she had been brought up to expect hard work.

I bowed and said as obediently as I could, 'Is there a uniform I need to change into?' Kanako wasn't wearing one, but she probably just did administration or something.

'Yes, it's here, locker 736. This will be your personal locker while you work here. You can put personal possessions in it and leave your uniform inside when you leave.' There's a large blue apron and a blue cap. If my hair had been long, I would've needed a hair net too. I quickly slip the apron on and adjust the cap to fit me comfortably. I hated it already.

_What the hell am I doing here?_ I thought angrily. _No, you have to. It's for Haru, remember? We need money, and the damn Main House isn't going to give us anything._

'This is Haruhi. She'll be your partner while you work here, you can decide between you who does which rooms and floors,' said Kanako, pushing forward a girl a little younger than me, already wearing her apron and cap before walking off.

The girl smiled tentatively, a bit like Tohru used to. She had short hair too, but it was neatly trimmed. Why was she here, I wondered.

'Hi Isuzu. You can choose which floors you want to do, I don't really mind. The offices are all the same anyway. Do I know you from- Never mind.' Definitely a Tohru-girl. Same sort of attitude. _I wonder if she cooks..._

'Um, if it would get the job done faster, we could do each floor together. Same time, then we can leave, right?' I venture. It's unusual for me, but I want to know this kid better. Somehow it would feel as if Tohru were here again.

'Who puts gum in people's hair, that's just disgusting!' I squirm at the thought.

'Oh, he was only about 7 years old anyway, he didn't know any better,' Haruhi answered matter-of-factly. 'It's easier to manage this way too. Why did you cut yours?' she asks me casually.

'Um, I... I didn't...' I falter. What could I say now? I wasn't just going to tell this kid my life-story, I hardly knew her. _Normal people can answer that question without having to do that_, I thought. 'I.. don't remember really. I preferred it long though. It was past my waist before Ak- before I cut it.'

Haruhi didn't seem to notice me struggling with the reply though. She just carried on wiping the large window panels on the 26th floor one strip at a time. She looked like she was used to this sort of thing. It had taken me a while to sweep up the crud on the floors quickly.

'I suppose office workers just gather dust from sitting still for too long,' I imagined Haru saying. If he was here he would've known how to get the job done much faster than me. Haru's actually quite good at cleaning. He's had to clear up much worse than this after one of his 'black episodes'.

Looking over at Haruhi again, it felt like she was thinking about what one of her friends would do in this situation too. I wondered who it was...

'Rin?' said a voice that I almost recognised. A tall blonde boy walked over to us, holding a rabbit backpack.

'Mo...Momiji? Is that you?' I was a little confused. What had happened to the small child in girls clothes? _The curse broke_, said the imaginary Haru, _he's had to grow up to deal with it_.

'Are you working here? Haru said something about that. I was just waiting for my Dad... Rin? Why are you crying?'

I hadn't realised. There was just something so sad about Momiji now, and I felt like I knew what it was, although I wouldn't have been able to pin it down as one emotion.

'You've... It's just too... Were you...?' That's as far as I got before sinking to the floor, my hands over my eyes. What has this curse done to us? It worked its way through our minds, splitting families and warping us to suit its demands. Then it broke, and left us vulnerable and strange. That poor boy...

'Rin, don't cry.' A hand that had good intentions rested on my shoulder, soothing me. I looked up into his eyes, large tears still forming in my eyes. 'I know I'm not the same as I was, but change is good. I'm not sad, so you shouldn't be either.'

'But why do you seem so... so calm? Like you're trying to be happy even though... even though...' I cried out, 'Momiji, this isn't _you_! What happened?'

He smiled gently and lifts me to my feet. 'Rin, I was the way I was. I am the way I am. If I wanted to change, I could. I'm in love, Rin. With Tohru.'

I gasp, then ask tentatively,

'But Tohru's gone to live with Kyo now, hasn't she? When did this happen?'

'I have been for a while. Ever since she told me about how my sister wanted to, well, be my sister,' he chuckled, 'She never guessed. I hope she never finds out, because I want her to be happy.'

Then I felt selfish, because I was in love with Haru, who frequently confirmed his love for me. How painful to be in love with someone who isn't even here anymore.

'Does Hatsuharu know?'

'Yes. He found out a short while after the curse broke. A girl in our class confessed to me and Haru was there,' explained Momiji very simply. He was talking about these things as though they were just stories, or something he'd seen on TV somewhere. I always thought he was strong, but I never knew he could lift such a weight.

'Er, excuse me?'

Oh God. Haruhi was there the whole time, wasn't she? The first day, and she'd seen me crying like a baby. Awkward.

'I know it's not really my business,' she said, making her way over to where we were standing, 'But I think that Momiji should try and take his mind off of Toh-ru, was it? I'm part of a club at school, and I think that it would cheer you both up. We're doing a dark-themed session which I think you would like, Isuzu, and Momiji could meet some new people...'

She looked down at the floor I'd just swept and turned a little red. 'I know how it feels to be in love with someone who doesn't know it. The best way to deal with it is to wholeheartedly accept your feelings, and distract yourself from them. I mean, you never know, right?'

Glancing back up at us, I hoped Haruhi could see just how much of an impact that advice had had on Momiji. There wasn't an extreme change, but a small spark of the little boy had appeared behind his eyes. He looked determined, and even a little happier.

Thinking back on what she'd just said, something suddenly clicked.

'Dark-themed session? ...Like cosplay? Is there someone in this club of yours that goes by the name of _Suou_?' I quizzed her.

'Yes, there is. How did you- _Oh_!' she exclaimed, 'Now I know where I've seen you before! Tamaki took pictures of you and a boy with funny hair and showed us the photos for 'inspiration'.' She began to laugh nervously. 'I hope he didn't bother you too much. He's just in his own world most of the time-'

'Well, I suppose we'll have to turn up now,' I huff. Secretly though, I'm quite interested in how they'll pull off our style.

**Thank you for reading this far! I wanted to write Momiji in as the cute bunny boy we all love, but then realised that the curse would have been broken anyway so I couldn't. Oh well, I love a challenge. Since this is my first and only fanfic, I'm really curious to know what you think, so please rate and/or review! Next chapter: Meet the Hosts! is soon to come.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm gonna give up asking for reviews now, I sound desperate. Give 'em if you want to, I don't mind anymore. Meanwhile, outside Music Room 3... (ohgodohgodi'm so excited to **_**write this!)**_** *clears throat* Back to business.**

I stared at the map of the school grounds, still feeling a bit miffed that they had to give us the dumb thing in the first place. So far, all of Ouran that I'd walked past had been immaculately clean, Western-style bricked buildings full of students all too keen to stare at the visiting peasants. So far, I was disgusted.

'Are you sure you're even reading that right? It's been a while since your last geography lesson, you know,' said a small, sour voice behind me. I snapped back,

'Shut up, Hiro! You were the ones who wanted to come and "see what the big posh school was like" so if you're going to be rude to me, I'll leave you here and then you'll be lost.'

Hiro opened his mouth to give a snarky reply, but then Kisa's little hand planted itself on his forearm.

'Hiro-kun?' she asked, her huge amber eyes shining. Kisa is one of the few Sohma family members that don't get on my nerves. She's quiet, sweet and very mature for such a young girl. And she has Hiro wrapped around her delicate pinkie-finger. That's why I don't mind her calling me 'Rin.'

It had taken ages to get everyone ready for this. It had been Haru and Momiji's joint idea to have everyone join in with the dark-themed cosplay we'd been told about.

Of course, for Haru and I that wasn't a problem. All our clothes were now safely stored in various cupboards back at Shigure's old place. Finding stuff for Momiji to wear had been hard enough, and then suddenly those two wanted to join in.

I was wearing a standard, short, black dress with long lacy tresses hanging down to my ankles, and red knee-high socks with black boots. (We'd recently been to the hairdressers too, so I was sporting a much neater long bob-type affair.)

Haru's outfit was gorgeous on him (obviously). He had a loose, boat-necked black top on that showed off his collarbones and sleek torso. On top of this, he had his famous white trench coat with fur trim and biker gloves.

Momiji was borrowing some of Haru's stuff, and it was hard to believe but he just about fit into it now. An oversized, red, spiked hoodie with leather leggings and DMs was all the kid needed to wear to look the part.

Hiro was the hardest to dress, and as we expected, the hardest to please too. He's at least half Haru's height, so we had to improvise. He was wearing the darkest shorts and T-shirt he could find, and we just piled on the chains, studs and belts. The result was quite impressive. Hiro is able to pull off this look so well, I think, because of his undying glare.

Finally, Kisa. Simple enough. A mini-dress for me became a maxi dress for her. She looked like a little goth-loli girl straight out of a vampire shojo manga.

Add a few belts, chokers, etc etc etc, and I was quite impressed. (The author became tired of writing about clothes at this point so I had to stop describing everyone in so much ridiculous detail.)

Our little party of 5 stopped outside the doors to Music Room 3. Momiji walked over to one of the over-sized door-handles, and smiled at us all.

'You guys ready?'

'More to the point, are _they_ ready for _us_? ' murmured Haru into my hair. Of all the times to give me butterflies in my stomach...

When we opened the door...

'_Welcome!_'

... we found the mysterious Club waiting for us. Well, not all of them at once of course, just one at the door. The others were all dotted around the room, seated at tables with various squealing girls in yellow uniforms. Wait a minute, what sort of club was this anyway?

'Welcome to the Ouran High School Host Club, you must be our guests of honour. We've been expecting you,' said the tall dark-haired boy with glasses and a clipboard. 'I'm Kyoya Ohtori, the vice-president here.'

'Rin-san, what's a Host Club?' asked Kisa innocently, but before I could struggle for an answer, Haru interrupted.

'It's basically a Club made up of a few boys who hire themselves out on fake dates with girls who are attracted to them.' Thanks a bunch Haru. Trust him to be completely honest about this. All the same, it saved me the trouble of hiding anything from the kids.

'If you'd kindly follow me over to this corner so that we're out of the way,' motioned Kyoya. 'I can see that almost all of you are couples, but funnily enough I expect the ladies here will find you very interesting all the same. What I suggest is that each couple chooses an empty table to be visited by various clients. Since you were the inspiration for this afternoon's theme however, there is nothing to stop you going around yourselves and meeting the other hosts too.'

Kisa immediately lead Hiro over to an empty table and poured them each a cup of tea, saying something about tired feet. Within minutes, around five yellow screeching things surrounded them, all calling out '_Kawaii! Kawaii!_'

'I'm not going to be "visited" by any "clients", thanks very much,' I growl quietly to Haru.

'I agree, that's boring. I'd much rather meet the people who plagiarised our style ideas,' he replied casually, slipping his hand into mine.

Momiji excused himself, looking confused and walking over into a far corner where two hosts were 'working' together, it seemed.

So the two of us walked over to the nearest hosts, a pair of identical twins with identical grins on their faces. They had two clients already, but Haru politely asked,

'Sorry to intrude, but could we meet you two? We're apparently the guests of honour today...?'

'Sure, sure,' said one twin.

'Yeah, just pull up some spare chairs,' said the other.

'_There's plenty to go 'round_,' they finished in unison. Freakishly synchronised.

Once we were all sat down, we exchanged names, and we found out that one was Hikaru and one was Kaoru, but whether they were telling the truth about which one was which I had no idea.

'So, do you guys like sports?' asked one of the clients eagerly, batting her eyelashes at the twins very unsubtly.

'Well, I used to do boxing actually-' began one of the twins, but he broke off after noticing that the other twin's eyes were filling with tears. 'Kaoru?'

'Oh Hikaru,' Kaoru said sadly, 'It's just those memories of you in the boxing ring... I got so scared that you'd get hurt... I-I didn't want to lose you.' He looked down at the ground shyly.

'Kaoru!' Hikaru grabbed his twin's chin and pulled it close to his own. They were almost within kissing range now. 'I would never leave you, Kaoru...'

'Hikaru...'

'EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!' squealed the clients, in a dizzy haze as the twins gazed into each other's faces. Honestly, I didn't get it at all. It was all a bit gross to tell the truth.

'That's not how you pull off that sort of scene off at all,' said Haru, unimpressed. He had his arms crossed and a bored expression on his face. Then he glanced up at me, a twinkle in his eye. 'Shall we show them how it's done? Think back to that time on the sofa.'

The time he first kissed me. I won't forget it. But to re-enact it in front of strangers, what sort of game was that? _The game that a host learns to play_, I answered myself. It might be fun anyway.

I positioned myself so that I was facing Haru on my chair. The twins and their clients looked on, expectant and a little annoyed too. _We'll show them_, I thought, before pulling myself back to the time before Haru and I had said out loud that we were in love.

'Rin?'

I looked up at Haru's serious, familiar expression, all innocence and uncertainty. 'Hm?'

'Let's kiss.'

The words felt as out of the blue as they did back then. I remembered being confused and shocked.

'Why?'

'Because we love each other,' replied Haru, holding my gaze and keeping as matter-of-fact as a textbook. I was enjoying this now, if only to hear Haru say those words again. Now this was the part where...

And there! His hand gently reached out and stroked my cheek. I shut my eyes and nuzzled into his palm, even though I remember not wanting to at first. I gave in then too. How could I resist?

Haru pulled our face closer together, our lips barely brushing the other's breath...

Then he delicately let go of my chin and the scene ended. _I will have to chase that up later_, I thought, feeling a little bit cheated. But of course Haru wouldn't have kissed me for the sake of the audience.

'EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!' But those two were obviously easy to please. It wasn't them we did it for.

Looking back at the twins, they seemed to have lost their cockiness.

'I hope you don't mind Hatsuharu-san, but-' began the one I thought was Hikaru.

'-we may have to borrow that scene,' continued the one I thought was Kaoru.

'_We hope it isn't copyrighted!'_ they finished, once again in unison, bowing respectfully to us. I could've gotten used to that.

Haru shrugged, but to me he looked a tiny bit pleased. But we silently decided not to 'perform' again that day. Once was enough when you were living the real thing. _Later we can finish that scene properly, _came the little spark of thought and excitement.

After a short conversation with the twins about the cosplay itself (turns out their mother is a famous designer), Haru thanked them and we decided to switch hosts.

'So is becoming a drama coach an ambition of yours then, Mr. Sohma?' I teased quietly.

'A joke, Rin?' Haru still had the sparks in his eyes. 'I didn't know you could do those.'

We arrived at the next table, and I recognised the blonde boy I saw in the middle of the sea of yellow with distaste. _Haru's excited remember? _I chided myself, _you don't want him to turn black in the middle of a host club full of rich people._

'Tamaki Suou.'

**once again, thanks for reading! I'm gonna have to split this into two parts, cuz it's just too long and I want to be fairly consistent in how much I write per chapter. Apologies for the long clothes description at the beginning, but it felt painfully necessary. I hope the re-enactment of Rin and Haru's famous confession scene made up for it at least. And Haru's white trench coat too. ;) Next chapter soon, with Tamaki, Momiji, Honey, Mori... and a black Haru?! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Rin meets Tamaki once again... HOW WILL SHE REACT?! OUCH! *Shigure gets pushed out of the way by the author* Sorry about him. Anyway, back to Music Room #3!**

'Tamaki Suou.'

The Host Club King glanced up at us, and then jumped to his feet.

'Oh great, you made it! What good timing, I was just telling my darlings about your hospitality!' he babbles, grasping Haru's hand.

'You followed me home and demanded to take pictures of us together,' said Haru, utterly destroying any romantic spiel that Tamaki was about to start spouting. The offending Host managed to retreat to a dark corner within seconds, hugging his knees and muttering to himself. I was starting to see a trend here.

'Is there something wrong with him or is it just me?' I whispered to Haru.

'Not at all, Isuzu-san,' answered Kyoya from behind us, making me jump. (Haru wasn't surprised. He's never surprised.) 'Tamaki is outwardly a very emotional person, but he's actually very grounded. When he needs to, he makes the right decisions.'

'But until then, you're the one calling the shots around here, right?' I said quizzically. Kyoya just smiled and adjusted his glasses.

At some point Tamaki must have come out of his corner, because he was now unashamedly flirting with 'his darlings' once again.

'You know my dears, this dark cosplay rather suits my mood this afternoon,' he said, nearly swooning. 'My heart is troubled.'

'What is it, Tamaki-kun?' asked the girl closest to him.

'My princesses,' came the sighed reply, 'I am... Unworthy of you!' He buried his face in his hands and turned away from the imploring arms of his customers. 'I know I am excruciatingly good looking, but how can I be handsome enough for ..._for all of you at once!?_'

'I'm sure I could suggest a few websites to you with lots of demonstrative videos on them,' Haru mumbles, and I shoot him a disgusted (yet slightly amused) look.

'Isn't that just called 'being unfaithful'? It's got nothing to do with worthy, Sempai,' said a voice I recognised.

'Haruhi!' Tamaki's emotions swung from 'severely depressed psychiatric patient' to 'excited puppy' within seconds. Was this guy just on his period all the time?

I looked over at Haruhi, and saw in surprise that she was wearing boy's clothing. What the hell was going on here?

'Haruhi, are you cross-dressing for a good reason or is this just another dramatic twist?' I hissed at her, pulling her away from the Teenage Embodiment of Hormonal, who looked a little offended.

'Er, haha, it's kind of a long story but let's just say I'm repaying a debt. And the whole 'being a girl thing' is a secret, OK? As long as I'm at Ouran, I'm a boy,' she said casually, smiling over her shoulder at the now engaged Tamaki.

I was sensing some sort of tension between them now, but decided to skim over it and move on. Haruhi's feelings were her own business.

'So, what's your 'thing'?' asked Haru casually, as we walk over to the far table where I can see Momiji engrossed in deep conversation with two hosts.

'My what?' asked Haruhi, puzzled.

'You know, your attractive trait,' explained everyone's favourite cow. He didn't seem perturbed in the slightest by Haruhi's 'boy' act. 'Tamaki is the King, Kyoya is the geeky advisor, the twins act out scenes of forbidden yaoi... So what do you do?'

'You've hit on something there. Although I prefer the term 'intellectual' rather than geeky.'

God, did Kyoya really have to keep popping up all the time? It was really starting to creep me out, but more importantly, Haru might get pissed off. And the poor Ouran twits didn't have a clue what that meant.

'Haruhi is what is known to us as 'the natural'. She-' he breaks off, 'I meant to say, of course, _he_, has a far lower income than all the rest of us here in Ouran Academy. Due to _his_ poverty, Haruhi is a very humble person. After the twins gave him a makeover, the natural type was the newest addition to our collection. The ladies love him.'

'Um, Kyoya-sempai, could you stop talking about me as though I were some sort of tramp? My family's income is actually pretty standard for a two-person Japanese household.'

It sounded like Haruhi had been through this before. She gave us a furtive glance, but I didn't see what there was to be ashamed of. Haru and I weren't exactly living the high life at that point in time.

'Now, Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai are, to us hosts, the 'boy-Lolita type' and the 'strong, silent type'. They are inseparable despite their opposite characteristics, so don't be alarmed. Honey-sempai does most of the talking and he's very, well, _familiar_ with people.'

Kyoya led us over to where Momiji was sitting with the two mysterious club members. One was a tall, dark boy with a strong jaw line and a stern expression. The other one...

'Haru, he...he...'

'Did you say my name?' asked Haruhi. This was going to get confusing. I shook my head quickly, but I couldn't stop staring at the blonde boy, who was chatting away happily to our relative.

'It's Momiji... But it can't be him...' I hissed at Haru, absolutely mystified.

'Of course it isn't Momiji,' said Haru rationally. 'Momiji is sitting across the table from him. Of course, he looks like Momiji used to look, but there are a few subtle differences. For a start, this boy's hair is lighter, and he isn't wearing the girl's uniform. It is a little strange though,' he admits.

That's odd in itself. Haru's never surprised. He continues 'Since Kyoya called him 'sempai 'I assume that this Honey person is older than Kyoya and Tamaki, but Momiji's younger and yet looks like the older one.'

'Rin, Haru! He's just like I used to be!' said Momiji excitedly, noticing us for the first time. Maybe it was seeing his old, cheerful self in person, or maybe I was imagining things, but he seemed a little less sad than before.

'Rin-chan! Haru-cha- Huh?' Honey-sempai's greeting was cut short. 'But there's already a Haru-chan here, I can't call you that too.' His soft brow furrowed in thought. 'What are your full names? I've only heard what Miji-chan here has told me.'

Miji-chan? That's a new one on me. But coming from Honey-sempai it seemed right. I could tell he hardly ever used anyone's surnames around here, being one of the oldest, but part of me wondered whether he did that all the time anyway. Definitely Momiji. But not Momiji... Maybe if I kept telling myself that I'd believe it at some point.

'I'm Hatsuharu Sohma, and this is my girlfriend Isuzu, or as I call her, Rin,' said Haru calmly. I felt a little smug when he said the g word though. He doesn't say it that often.

'So maybe I should call you 'Sohma-chan' then, Hatsuharu, and I can call you 'Izu-chan'. Rin was too over-familiar, ne?' His tiny face lights up, and he rushes out of his chair to hug my legs. My face must give away my confusion and nervousness at having a small boy-who-was-actually-only-one-year-younger-than-me grasping my knees, because Mori-sempai says one word and the childlike teenager lets go and scrambles onto his shoulders eagerly.

'Mitsukuni.'

'Takashi!' (I swore I could see small pink flowers floating around the kid's head. Geez, first Tamaki's rose petals from every direction, now this! I would be weirded out if I hadn't seen and been alot weirder myself only a few months ago. Naked Sohmas and zodiac animals everywhere, no wonder Haru was never surprised.)

'He loves bunnies and candy too, Haru! Isn't that strange? And I feel so... so happy knowing that. I don't know why.'

Momiji and Haru were having a quiet tête-à-tête, but didn't seem to mind me listening.

'It's probably because you miss your old self, Momiji. We all do. Honey-sempai is just like a mirror into the past for you, and you're subconsciously remembering your happy times with the rabbit spirit, even though it wasn't and isn't all fluff and chocolate.' Haru should become a therapist, as well as everything else. Someday I'll find something he isn't good at.

_Where are Kisa and Hiro? I haven't seen them in a while._ The thoughts came out of nowhere in the middle of the conversation with the hosts, but I strode quickly back to their table, only to find it empty.

'Haru?!' But he was already beside me.

_Where are they? They could be anywhere in this school? Maybe they've fallen out of a window somewhere or-_ My mind spiralled into a desperate panic. _I have to find them! Now!_ I rushed over to the door, but my knees buckled and I fell backwards, blacking out.

The last things I heard were snatched words.

'Rin? Rin, are you alright?' Haru. My beloved Haru. He'd keep me safe forever, I knew that.

'Haru, don't worry, she'll be OK.' That was Momiji.

'Izu-chan's fainted, ne ne?' Honey.

'Yeah.' Mori.

'**Is she OK?' **The twins, speaking in unison.

'Yes, they're a small boy and a girl with orange hair. They could be anywhere in the Academy, so conduct a thorough search.' Kyoya, presumably on the phone to some secret service or something.

'Haru? Don't get mad, she'll be fine-' Momiji? What's wrong? Is Haru...Is he turning black?

An expensive-sounding smash. And I don't hear any more.

**Aw, these last two chapters have been so fun to write, introducing all the Ouranians. But fear not, more of Ouran is to come, obviously. Sorry about the rubbish plot twist, but I really want to write about what Rin's thinking when Haru turns black in the next chapter. As usual, thanks for reading, and apologies for this chapter coming out later than usual. I've been stuck without Wi-Fi for a while. Anyway, more RinRu to come, enjoy! **


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